Shifting Horizons: The Impact of Global Events on the Intention to Migrate of the Next Generation Romanian Nurses

Abstract

Background: This article investigates the determinants of the intention to migrate of nursing students at a major medical university in Romania and relates them to major international developments, specifically the Brexit referendum and the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey about the intention to migrate was made available to nursing students at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hațieganu”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in 2016 (before Brexit) and again in 2016 (after Brexit), 2017, 2018, and 2021 and 2022 (during the pandemic). A total of 549 students responded (response rate: 84.6%). Results: Before the Brexit referendum, 62.6% of the respondents had a plan to seek employment abroad, whereas after the Brexit referendum, only 34.7% indicated that they had such a plan after graduation. Before the pandemic, 43.6% of the students expressed an intention to work abroad, while during the pandemic, only 19.8% had such plans. Conclusions: This study documented the effect of significant international developments—such as the Brexit referendum and the COVID-19 pandemic—on decreasing the intention to migrate. As expected, the change in preference for the UK as a destination country changed dramatically. Additionally, the study provides both theoretical and empirical insights into the types of and the consistency of preparation for migration of nursing students.